The invention relates to the design and structure mobility aid devices. More specifically, the invention relates to devices to aid infants and young children develop crawling motor skills and strength.
Some infants and young children are born with, or have obtained though disease or injury, disabilities which have slowed their early crawling or mobility skills. These patients may require support devices to aid in teaching and developing the motor skills needed for crawling.
The prior art discloses many devices suitable for the support of the human body for various activities, from lifting during rescue operations by firefighters to support for exercise and physical rehabilitation. None of these devices, however, are suitable for use with infants where the primary goal is to teach crawling skills. For this application, the device must be light weight, support the body weight of the infant in the correct manner, and be mobile with respect to the support surfaces to allow motion from one location to another. Further, it would be advantageous for the device to be easily disassembled or broken down for shipping or transport, and be easily adjusted to fit children or young adults of varying body types and sizes.
Such devices, although primarily designed for human occupation, may also be applied to use by animals, particularly those who have lost limbs or whose limbs are damaged. The device may be used on a temporary basis to aid healing and develop strength in damaged limbs, or on a more permanent basis for animals who have lost use of one or more limbs.
These and other limitations of the prior art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the following descriptions and a study of the several figures of the drawing.